Water-heating apparatus.



No'. 783,457. PATENTED EEE. 28, 1905. E. W. NEU, J. A. WEEEE E E. E. KEYES WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 14. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

GOGOOGGQGJ PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. E. W. NEU, J. A. WEBER & H. E. KEYES.

WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEU. 14, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'@@QQQQQ 'i 3*" No. 783,457. PATENTED PEB. 28, 1905. E. W. NEU, J. A. WEBER L H. E. KEYES.

WATER HEATIN G APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 14. 1903.

unl

HIE

IIIIN No. 783,457. PATENTED EEB. 28, 1905. E. W. NEU, J. A. WEBER & H. E. KEYES.

WATER HEATIN G APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 14, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EMIL W. NEU, JOSEPH A. WEBER, AND HARRY E. KEYES, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO HOMESTEAD HEATER AND MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION I OE PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-H EATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 783,457, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed December 14, 1903. Serial No. 185,102.

ments in Water-Heating Apparatus, of which' the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to apparatus for heating water for domestic purposes; and its main objects are to provide a simple` efiicient, and compact apparatus having all of its parts readily accessible for cleaning, adjustment, and re pairs and having such of its parts as require special care andattention so constructed and arranged as to be readily removable without disturbing other parts of the apparatus or without breaking any connections other than those directly associated with the particular parts to be removed.

To these ends our invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus te'be hereinafter described, the particular features of novelty being specified in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings furnished and forming a part of this specification, Figures l and 2 represent in side and front views, respectively, an apparatus embodying our invention. Eig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the water-heating apparatus and the lower part of the water tank or reservoir. Fig. 4 is a front View of said iheating apparatus with the. front wall of the casing or cover removed for disclosing the water-heating coil and the,

heating-burner. Eig.`5 is a plan or top View of the burner. Fig. y'is a plan or top view of the heater, and' Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the casing inclosing the fuel-valve and its thermostatic controlling device.

The water reservoir or tank A may be of any suitable size, shape, and construction and is provided with a water-inlet pipe a and an outlet-pipe a', through which water passes from said tank to the heat-ing apparatus, said outlet-pipe being preferably connected to the 'from which the heated water is drawn for service, The construction and arrangement of the tank or reservoir and its connectingpipe is as heretofore constructed and forms no part of our present invention. The waterheating coil B is in plan view in the form of the figure I8, this particular shape being for the purpose of securing a large area of heating-surface in a comparatively small space and for the further purpose of having the coil so shaped that it will lie close to the cylindrical wall of the water tank or reservoir and occupy as little space as possible outside of the space occupied by the tank itself. Said coil is wholly supported by the pipes to which it is connected. The pipe a is directly connected to a valve-casing D, the latter serving as an elbow connection between the pipe a and the lower end of the heating-coil B, the latter being detachably connected to said valvecasing by means of a coupling-nut b2 in a wellknown manner. The upper end b3 of said coil is connect-ed in a similar manner to the pipe a2 by means of a coupling-nut if.

Surrounding the coil B is a casing O, which is attached to and supported by the water tank -or reservoir A. Said casing, which is preferably composed of cast metal, is made to closely conform to the shape of the heating-coil and comprises a fixed upright wall c, an integral top wall c', and a removable upright Wall c2. The fixed wall c incloses the rear half of the heating-coil, and the removable wall c2incloses the front half` of said coil, said removable wall being secured in place by means of thumbscrews c, which project from its side edges and enter slots c4 in the side edges of the fixed wall c, all of which will be readily understood from the drawings without further explanation, it being only necessary to call attention to the fact that when the casing-wall c2 is removed, as shown in Fig. 4, the heating-coil B and the burner E are sufliciently exposed for an ordinary cleaning' operation. The fixed portion of the casing C is secured to the watertank A by means of a band c5, which extends around said tank and has its ends secured to said casing, as clearly shown.

The burner E, which is located directly beneath the heating-coil B, is a hollow cast-iron structure of sufficient capacity to serve as an air and gas mixer. It is provided with an air and gas inlet e, and on its top there is a series of perforations e, through which the combined air and gas escapes to form the heatingjets. The shape of the burner is best shown in Fig. 5, its general appearance being' that of two rings connected together at one side of a central line, the central space e2 being provided for the lower end of the heating-coil B. Said burner is supported at its ends by the fixed wall c of the casing C, the latter being provided with open slots e3 for the reception of screws ci, tapped into bosses @5 at the ends of the burner. The bottom of the casing C being open,the burner E is pushed up into the casing, so that the screws e4 will enter the slots e3, the burner being held in place by tightening the screws, as will be readily understood. This mode of supporting the burner not only admits of it being readily removed for cleaning purposes, but also admits of an adjustment of the burner to a truly horizontal position, this adjustment being an important feature in an apparatus of thisvr character for the reason that should the burner be higher at one end than at the other the gas will seek the elevated end of the burner and leave little or none for the depressed end, and thus cause an uneven heating of the coil. Bysupporting the burner so that it may be tilted as described no particular care is necessary in setting up the apparatus in order that the burner may operate to the best advantage.

Connected to the burner-inlet e is a short length of pipe e, and at the lower end of said pipe there is a cone e7, which surrounds the gas-supply nozzle f, so that air may enter the burner through the space between the lower end of said cone and said nozzle f, as will be readily understood. The cone e7 is secured to the pipe e by means of a set-screw es, the latter being loosened to enable the cone to be raised when the burner E is to be removed from the apparatus.

The gas-supply or service pipe F is connected to the valve-casing D and is provided with a cock f for controlling the maximum supply of gas to the burner. The valve-casing D is provided with an entrance-chamber g and an exit-chamber g', the division-wall g2, separating the two chambers, being' provided with a port g3, controlled by a valve G, which is moved for opening and closing the two chambers by a thermostatic device to be presently explained. The valve Gr is conical in form and is made to closely fit a conical seat in the partition-wall g2 and is provided with a by-pass g4 for the passage of a small quantity of gas to the burner, so that the latter may not be entirely extinguished by the closing of said valve. The quantity of gas which is permitted to pass through the by-pass g'4 is controlled by a thumb-screw g5, arranged opposite said by-pass to regulate the opening in a well-known manner. Gras from the supply or service pipe F enters the valve-chamber g and passes therefrom to the chamber y and thence to and through the discharge-nozzlef to the lburner E.

The valve G is mounted upon the end /t of ;a rod H, said end /t beingscrew-threaded, so

that the valve may be accurately adjusted with respect to the movements of the rod H, the latter forming a part of the thermostatic device hereinbefore referred to. Said rod H extends back through the valve-casing into the pipe d, leading from the water-tank to the heating-coil B, and is surrounded bya tube H2, composed of metal or alloy having a comparatively high coefiicient of expansion. Said tube is xedly secured to the rear end of the rod H, preferably by means of an internally and externally screw-threaded nut or collar la', as will be readily understood. The forward end of said tube is secured to the valvecasing by means of an externally-threaded hub if, to which said tube is fixedly attached. The rear wall of the valve-chamber g is prolvided with a screw-threaded opening h3 to receive the hub 7b2, and at the rear of said opening there is an annular flange or abutment 71,4, between which and the rear end of said hub is placed a lead washer if inorder that a perfectly tight joint may be secured between the chamber g and the rear of the valve-casing.

The valve G and the thermostatic device are adjusted, removed, and inserted through the front end of the valve-casing, the latter being provided With a removable cap or cover D'. When this cap or cover is removed, the supply of gas through the by-pass g4 may be adjusted by turning the screw g". The valve itself may be adjusted by simply turning or rotating it so that it will be advanced or withdrawn from its seat by means of its screwthreaded connection with the rod H. The valve may be removed from the casing or the thermostatic device may be withdrawn from the valve-casing for cleaning or repairs by turning or unscrewing the hub if, the latter being provided with a square projection L6 for the purpose. 4

The valve G, the thermostatic device, the burner E, and the heating-coil B require constant care and attention in order that the best possible results may be attained at the small- IOO est possible cost. The burner must of course be kept open and as free as possible from deposits from the gas and products of combustion, and for this purpose it is readily accessi-- ble by removing the front wall ofthe casing C, or may be readily removed, as already explained, without disturbing any other partof the apparatus. The coil B must also be frequently cleaned, as the deposits which rapidly accumulate thereon tend to prevent the heat from reaching thewater in the coil, and it frequently happens that such deposits become so thick and hard that it is necessary to remove the coil from the apparatus in order that it maybe thoroughly cleaned. When the front wall of the casing C is removed, as already explained, the coil is exposed sufliciently to permit it to be cleaned, provided the deposit thereon is not so thick and hard as to render the operation ditcult. When necessary, the coil B may be readily removed (after .the burner has been removed) by unscrewing the coupling-nuts Z22 and b3. The upper end of the coil may then be lowered through the perforation c in the upper wall of the casing C and removed from said'casing, as will be readily understood.

In the operation of the apparatus the water in the tank A circulates through the coil B by way of the pipes a' and a2, the water as it becomes heated in the coil ascending through the pipe a2 and the cooler water at the bottom of said tank passing to the coil by way of the pipe a. As the temperature of the water increases it causes the tube H2 of the thermostatic device to expand and move the rod H rearwardly for gradually closing the valve (yl, the latter being entirely closed when the water reaches the desired temperature. The gas supplied to theburner is thus automatically controlled and regulated by the temperature of the water in the tank or reservoir A. Said burner,l as heretofore explained, is always supplied with a small quantity of gas and is consequently not extinguished by the closing of the valve G; but the flame of the burner is increased or decreased" as the temperature of the water may require.

rlhe thcrmostatic tube H2 must be kept as clean as possible, so that it may quickly respond to changes in the temperature of the water, and for this purpose the valve-casing l) is provided with a water-discharge outlet v1, which is controlled by a cock or faucet I. This water-outlet is for the purpose of drawing the water from the tank A through the pipe d, so that the water in its passage through said pipe will act to cleanse the tube H. The latter may, however, when a more thorough cleaning is necessary be removed from the valve-casing, as before explained.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#- l. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination with a water tank or reservoir, of a heating-coil, an independently-supported casing surrounding said coil, pipes connected to said reservoir for conveying water to and from said coil, the latter being detachably connected to said pipes and wholly supported thereby, the organization being such that said coil may be removed from said casing after being detached from the pipes to which it is connected, substantially as described.

2. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination with a water tank or reservoir, of a heating-coil, pipes connected to said reservoir for conveying water to andl from said coil, the latter being detachabl y connected to said p ipes and wholly supported thereby, and a casing for said coils secured to and supported by said tank or reservoir, said casing having a removable wall for giving access to said coil, substantially as described.

3. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination with a Water tank or reservoir, of a heating-coil, pipes connected to said reservoir for conveying Water to and from said coil, said coil being detachably connected to said pipes and wholly supported thereby, a casing surrounding said coil, and a burner detachably secured to and supported within said casing below said coil, the organization being such that said coil and burner may be readily vremoved from said casing, substantially as described.

4. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination of a water-heating' coil, a casing for said coil open at its lower end, slots in the side Walls of said casing at the lower edge thereof, a burner provided lwith projections at opposite edges adapted to enter said slots, and means for adjustably securing said projections in said slots,substantially as described.

5. In a water-heating apparatus, a heatingcoil having each of its convolutions in the form of the figure 8, a casing for said coil, and a burner located beneath said coil, said burner being shaped to conform to the shape of said coil, substantially as described.

6. In a water-heating appa'ratus, a heatingcoil having each of its convolutions in the form of the ligure 8, a casing surrounding said coil, a burner located beneath said coil, said burner being shaped to conform to the shape of said coil and being supportedv at its ends by said casing, substantially as described.

7. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination with a water-heating coil having suitable inlet and outlet connections, of a burner, a valve for controlling the fuel to'said burner, a valve-casing for said valve having a removable cap or cover for giving access to the 'interior thereof, a thermostatic device detachably supported in said casing and adapted to be readily removed therefrom, said device projecting into the inlet connection leading IOO IIO

to said coil and being adapted to control the 8. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination With a Water tank or reservoir, of a heating-coil, inlet and outlet connections for said coil leading to and from said reservoir,a burner located beneath said coil, a valve for controlling the supplyof fuel to said burner, a thermostatic device located in the coil-inlet connection adapted to control the inoveirients of said valve, and a Water-discharge outlet located in the wall surrounding' said thermostatic device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a water-heating apparatus, the combination with a water-heating coil, of a burner located beneath said coil having suitable Water inlet and outlet connections, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to said burner, said valve being inclosed in a suitable valvecasing, a thermostatic device supported in said valve-casing and projecting into the inlet connection leading to said coil, and a by-pass through said valve for permitting a small quantity of fuel to pass to said burner when said valve is closed, su bstantially asand for the purpose set forth.

10. In a Water-heating apparatus, the combiu nation With a Water-heating coil having suitable inlet and outlet connections, of a burner located beneath said coil, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to said burner, said valve being inclosed in a suitable valve-casing, a thermostatic device for automatically controlling the movementspf said valve, said device being supported in said valve-casing and projecting into the inlet leading to said coil, a Water-discharge'outlet in the Wall of said valve-casing adjacent to said thermostatic'device, and a valve or cock for controlling said Water-discharge outlet, substantially as described. y

In testimony vvhereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- JOHN B. JONES, FLOYD OsBoRNE. 

